


As Seasons Change

by Rainy_Summer



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Minor Character Death, Miscarriage, Mpreg, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:22:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22153966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainy_Summer/pseuds/Rainy_Summer
Summary: It was spring when love blossomed between the two them, summer when their love affair in spring bore a fruit, fall when one began to fall out of love, and winter when one's heart became too cold.A Mark Hyuck Royalty AU where spring was hello and winter could be goodbye.Note: minor changes made so that I can finally acknowledge it as my child after posting it anonymously.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 66
Kudos: 466





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Minor edits were made, but nothing that would affect the plot, so if you already read this, it's okay to bot read it again. 
> 
> Some minor changes on the sentences construction and spelling so that I could acknowledge it as my work and not anymore post it anonymously. 
> 
> But since reading my own work is a bit cringey, there might still be errors. Feel free to point them out so you could also help me make this better. Thanks. 
> 
> Also, this is a product of the remnant ideas I have for my tales of kings series which didn't fit the theme of the series. I didn't want to forget about it, so here it is. This was written around the time that I am writing Melting Point, around those times when I'm writing fast paced (I miss those days 😂).

The trees were beginning to come to life again after being dead for months, a sign that hope would come, even after the worst events. The whole Kingdom of Aurelius was grieving the death of their beloved Princess Haera, the eldest omega among the Royal children. Haechan was grieving, too, for Haera was his beloved sister, his most trustworthy friend. But the last day of winter had claimed her life. Haechan wished that she would return just as the flowers began to bloom, but that was impossible. She would never come back again, even if spring was her favorite season. 

Haera had told him that spring was a new beginning, an opportunity to start a new, and opportunity to leave the bad memories on the passing winter. The days will become longer until the summer began, and there would be more time to spend under the golden sunlight.

To bask in it's warmth.

To run around and play while was he was still young.

Yet, Haechan didn't know if he could do those things alone and without Haera by his side. As the days grew longer, he would have more time to be awake than asleep, more time to think about the person he was missing. 

During the last winter, when Haera was still alive but too weak to leave her bed, she had held his hand as he sat on a chair next to her bed. It was as if she had seen the future before any of them could — a future without her. She had told him that when someone left, another one would come, not to take the place of that someone who was gone but to bring life and beauty that only they could give. She told him that it was okay to be sad when someone left, but she also told him that it shouldn't be the reason for his world to stop. Seasons would continue to come and go, and his life should not end with just one season. 

The winter had passed yesterday, and so did Haera. Haechan would miss her a lot, but he promised to continue his life, even if it's a life without her. 

🍀🍀🍀

The migratory birds were slowly coming back to Aurelius where life was starting to bloom again. Soon, there would be a lot of them, dancing on the blue skies where the golden sunlight was yet to peek. 

There were a lot of people flocking in Aurelius, as if it was the summer solstice, when festivities would culminate to honor the Sun God. But the people weren't coming for festivities. They were here for a funeral. They weren't here to welcome the summer, but to say goodbye to someone who was as warm and as bright as the sun. 

Among those people were the royals of Adar, a Kingdom located at the North East of Aurelius. Their crowned prince had been his sister's betrothed, and beloved—a relationship that started as a mere agreement of two kingdoms bloomed into something much more, something that was bounded by love and adoration. It's sad that such strong bond could be easily severed by death. Or maybe not. Looking at the Crowned Prince—Johnny, who was staring at the glass coffin with sadness and longing, Haechan felt that the death of his sister would never erase whatever they had. 

Haechan scanned the people who were attending the funeral. Most of them, he had only seen this instance, and he was sure that Haera knew less than a half of them. If the choice was in his hands, he would rather allow the servants, the commoners, whom Haera had mingled with and cared about, to attend the funeral. They were the ones who knew Haera as Haera and not just a Princess of Aurelius. These people knew nothing about his sister and cared nothing about her. They were not the people who should be seeing Haera one last time, they weren't the ones who should say goodbye. 

Haechan's eyes landed on the royals of Adar once again, only to be taken aback by the sight of a pair blue eyes staring back at him. The person—an alpha, removed his stare once Haechan caught him. Haechan tilted his head. Johnny was the only person that he knew from Adar, for the older alpha had been to Aurelius many times before to visit his sister. The person that he had caught staring at him was someone he had never seen before. 

He was obviously from Adar, considering as how he was wearing similar clothes like that of Johnny's, a red cloak with the markings of a wolf's head, their kingdom's symbol. He also had red hair, a trait of the natives of Adar, unlike Johnny who had black hair because he had taken after his mother—a princess of Raven. Haechan remembered that Johnny had two younger brothers, and perhaps, one of them was that person he caught staring at him. Still, it didn't explain the color of his eyes, for both Adar and Raven shared the same trait of dark brown—almost black pupils. 

The person returned his gaze at him, and this time, it was Haechan who was embarrassed at being caught. He averted his gaze back to the coffin, where Haera was lying peacefully, waiting to be buried under the ground with the roots of the trees that had seen her grow and die.

🍀🍀🍀

Burying the dead body of the royals underneath the garden of Aurelius had been a practice for so long, but the knowledge that the garden was also a cemetery did not deter Haechan from picking it as his favorite place in Aurelius. There were only a few people who wanted to stay long in the garden, for they were afraid of facing the lurking spirits of their ancestors. Not all of them were like him and Haera, always ready to mingle with the flowers and butterflies, trees and birds, and even lurking spirits. 

Maybe if Haechan would stay longer, Haera would show herself to him. 

The flowers were now in full bloom, and Haechan was still missing her dearly. The peach blossoms that used to make the two of them happy was only reminding him of his grief once more. 

Haechan froze on his spot, once he noticed an alpha—the one whom he had caught staring at him at his sister's funeral, had join him in his solitude. The alpha was suddenly right beside him, blue eyes staring directly at him. 

Haechan looked at him in confusion as the alpha raised his fist and open them. Inside the palm of his hand was a rare four leaf clover. 

"Make a wish, " the alpha told him as he pushes his opened palm towards him. 

Haechan switched between looking at the four-leaf clover and the alpha before correcting him. "You must be mistaken. The four leaf clover was supposed to make someone lucky, and not grant someone's wishes. "

The alpha gasped embarrassingly. "Is that so?" He asked disappointed. "Then, I failed at chasing your sadness away. "

"It's fine, " Haechan answered. "I appreciate effort despite the two of us not knowing each other's name. "

The alpha let out an embarrassed groan and Haechan could not help but giggle. "I am Prince Mark of Adar," the alpha introduced himself, offering a hand for Haechan to take, which he did. "And I know that your name is Haechan, for I have seen you before, from afar that is. "

Haechan quirked an eyebrow in confusion. "I don't remember having the pleasure of meeting you before, Your Highness. "

"That's because we didn't. I only saw you on last years summer solstice, during the holy dance for the Sun God. But, I did not have the opportunity to introduce myself to you, for I needed to hurry back to Adar. I'm glad to finally meet you up close, although I'm sorry that it has to happen while you are mourning your sister's lost. "

Haechan felt the sadness creeping up to him again at the mention of his sister and the alpha—apologized once again. 

"It's fine, " he told him."It is a cycle. We are all going to be there one day. "

"But it will not drive the sadness away, will it? "

Haechan shook his head. 

"Is there anything that I can do for you? To lessen the pain that you're feeling right now. "

Mark looked sincere that Haechan didn't have the heart to tell him that there was nothing he could do, that the pain and longing might stay even after the season changed. "You can give me the four leaf clover, for I will need all the luck in order to survive and move forward without my sister. "

🍀🍀🍀

Spring had passed yesterday and it was now the summer solstice, where the day was longest in the year. The sun would be shining down upon them longer and there was nothing more that Haechan wanted to do other than to bask in its light. Unfortunately for him, his predicaments were forbidding him to do so. All that he could do was to stare outside the window of his room. Mark had told him that he first saw him on last year's summer solstice while Haechan was participating on the holy dance for the Sun God. This year, he was not allowed to participate, for he was deemed not holy enough. 

The trees outside the castle were starting bear fruits, and soon, they will be ripe enough to be plucked. Haechan too, was bearing a fruit, a fruit that was secretly planted during spring, and a fruit that would probably blossom in the coming winter. 

Looking back on the last spring that had just passed, Haechan was not sure how things ended up the way it was. It began with a death, only to end with a life. Mark and him had spent way too much time with each other, way too much for an unmated pair. Their meetings shouldn't have involved kissing under the sun and touching under the moon, yet, it did, because Haechan had been lonely amd longing and Mark had been willing to give. They shouldn't have, for Mark had left before the spring would even end. 

Haechan clasped the already withered clover inside his palms, as if it was the only piece of hope that he was holding on. The fruit was discovered just a week ago, after Haechan began suffering from morning sickness. A doctor was quickly summoned to take a look at him, and it was then discovered that was with a child, for about a couple of months. 

The Golden King—his father, was beyond furious. He had not even recovered yet for the loss of his daughter, yet a son was already disgracing his family. 

"Of who's child are you carrying? " his father asked, and Haechan knew better than to lie. He confessed what had transpired between him and the youngest prince of Adar and a messenger was quickly sent to the said kingdom to inform Mark of his predicament. It had been a week, and yet there was no response. 

If Mark would, he could deny everything, for there were no other witnesses to their love affair other than the sun and the moon. And, although it would put Haechan in a bad light, there really wasn't much that he could do for an alpha's word always weigh more than those of an omega. 

Still, he hoped. He hoped and pray that Mark was not that kind of a person, that the father of his child would not abandon them to fend for themselves. 

Haechan held on to the four leaf clover, taking all the luck that he could take, until finally, the door to his room opened, to reveal the face he had been longing to see. 

Mark's red hair was in disarray, and indication that he went directly to see him after riding for long towards Aurelius. Mark's blue eyes were filled with worries and all of Haechan's fears about Mark abandoning him melted, especially when Mark came running to him and enveloped him in a hug that was as warm as the sun. 

"I'm sorry that I took so long," Mark apologized to him. "The Red King was taking too long with deciding what to give your family as dowry, that I ended up coming here on my own, empty handed. But don't worry, they will send the finest gift that our kingdom could give, in order for the Golden King to approve of our marriage. "

"Marriage? " he asked in a surprised manner that Mark had pulled away from him. 

"Yes, love, marriage, " Mark affirmed. "Do you not want to? "

To get married was the rightest thing to do in their situation, but Haechan could not help but to contemplate his decision. Aurelius, and most especially his beloved mother, had just lost a princess to a sickness, and soon after, they would lose a prince to a marriage, too. But then, one look at Mark's fearful eyes dissolved all his doubts away. Here was Mark offering marriage to him to save his honor and here was Haechan being unhappy with the prospect of being married to him. Oh, how ungrateful he was. 

"I would love that, " he answered and all of the worries in the alpha's eyes disappeared. 

🍀🍀🍀

Everything went fast, and before Haechan knew it, he was going to be spending the rest of the summer in the forest within the valley of Adar, where the Royal Castle of the Red Kingdom was located. 

There were a lot of talks after their wedding, about how Haechan, at eighteen, was still young—way too young to be plucked out of the ground where he was growing, and be planted in a different and unfamiliar place. And, frankly, Haechan was feeling worried that what they were saying was the truth. He couldn't help but to worry if he could really survive being outside Aurelius. 

Haechan couldn't help but peek outside the carriage that would carry him to Adar, and he couldn't help but feel sad as the golden rice plantations on the plains of Aurelius became smaller as the distance grew. 

The Golden Queen had cried before his departure, like Haechan predicted. She was still not ready to part ways with her youngest whom she thought would still have much longer time to spend with her. But, Haechan grew up way too fast, unexpectedly, that he too was not sure if could handle being an adult all of a sudden. 

Mark held his hand firmly, and Haechan removed his gaze from the window. His husband—his mate, gave him a reassuring smile. 

"You'll be fine, " Mark told him. "I promise to take care of you. "

Mark's voice sounded like a lullaby, pacifying him and lulling him to sleep. He leaned against his mates shoulder and slept his worries away. Before he knew it, the surroundings smelt more like Mark, woods and morning dew, and he knew he was home, he was in his new home. 

🍀🍀🍀

Summer in Aurelius was very much different from the summer in Adar. Haechan had been used to the rays of the sun touching his skin, but with the tall trees, thick branches and abundant leaves that were shielding him, Haechan was beginning to miss the way that the sun would kiss his skin. 

"Is it not better that way, love? " Mark had asked him once. "The heat in Aurelius is too much and sometimes, I fear that one day you would burn."

Haechan had wanted to disagree, to say that he still preferred Aurelius rather than Adar, but it seemed like saying that would sound ungrateful, considering how Mark and the Royal Family had been to kind to him. Even the Red Queen was treating him kindly, as if Haechan was his own child. Johnny and the second prince—Jaehyun, was good to him, especially Johnny who was the betrothed of his late sister. 

But the Red Queen was not his mother who would braid his hair and tuck him to bed. She was not the Golden Queen who would sing him to sleep to chase the worried and nightmares away. Johnny and Jaehyun were not his brothers, as well. They were too old to play chase with, not like Haechan could run anyway, considering his predicament. 

But Mark was Mark, and there was no one in Aurelius who could compare to him—him who looked at Haechan with love and affection, him who kissed and touched him with gentleness amd care, him who promised him protection and loyalty. That should be enough reason for him to start seeing Adar as his home. 

"Yes, " he answered, 'It is better here. "

🍀🍀🍀

The leaves of the trees were turning into red and soon they would be falling to the ground. Back in Aurelius, Haechan was sure that people were already harvesting their crops, canning amd fermenting their fruits, and storing everything that they could for the coming winter. It was the first time that Haechan wouldn't be there to bid farewell to the migratory bird, and to wish them to have a safe journey. 

Summer had passed, yet, the longing to return to Aurelius had still not disappeared. Not once did he voice out his concern, yet, he could already feel Mark's annoyance at him for taking too long to adjust. He could feel it in the way his mate would frown whenever the alpha would caught him staring at the direction where the road to Aurelius was located. 

Sometimes, Haechan would fear that Mark would one day be done with his attitude, and send him back to Aurelius. He had heard stories about that before, of alphas returning their omegas back to their parents. 

Haechan wanted to go back to Aurelius, but he also didn't want to part ways with Mark, not when the two of them were just starting their new family, not when Haechan had fallen in love with him. 

So he told himself to endure, and to pretend that he was fine, until one day, it would become a reality. 

🍀🍀🍀

The wild hibiscus that was by the river was still in full bloom, as if magically unaffected by the autumn. The flower was much bigger than what they had in Aurelius but the light pink color was very much the same. Haechan should not even be here, and he should not be anywhere without anyone accompanying him. His stomach had already become rounder, and it was predicted that he would give birth by the beginning of winter. Mark would probably be angry for him walking on his own, but Mark was not in the castle when Haechan left, and he promised himself that he would return before his mate. 

He used to roam around without servants nor guards accompanying him back in Aurelius, and he really couldn't see the need for them, aside from making him feel suffocated.

The hibiscus was really beautiful, and was reminding him of home. He wanted to have it, but it was too near towards the river. He deeply regretted not taking a single servant with him. 

Haechan bit his lips in contemplation, the temptation of the flower as well as the desire to have something that would remind him of home was too much to ignore. He placed his hand on his stomach. As he slowly walked towards the flower. 

He was standing a mere foot away from the flower, but his round belly was making it hard to reach out and pick the flower. He tried to stretch his arm longer, but he only strained his muscles. Haechan stomped his foot angrily. Before walking closer, only to slip on the wet soil and fall front first onto the river. The last thing that he remembered was the sharp pain on his stomach, and his fingers digging the ground in desperate effort to not be carried by the current. He stayed there for to long, inside the cold water that slowly turned to red. That was all that he remembered before everything went black. 

🍀🍀🍀

When Haechan woke up, he was no longer in the cold water, but on the soft mattress of the bed in his and Mark's room, where his mate, the Red Queen and the physician was watching over him. The Red Queen reached out a hand to brush his hair and gave him a sad smile. 

The memories of what had happened earlier suddenly returned to him and he began to panic. He placed his palm inside his shirt to feel his stomach, but the roundness was not anymore there, he could only feel loose skin. 

Haechan began to choke up in fear, as he looked at the doctor. The old beta sadly shook his head at him. 

The sobs came automatically at the realization of what had happened. He had lost his child, he had lost his child all because of a stupid flower. 

The Red Queen began crying with him, all while trying to pacify him. But as much as Haechan appreciated her presence, there was someone else whom he wanted to take comfort from. His eyes searched for Mark, but his mate was refusing his gaze. He looked angry and Haechan feared that it was him he was angry with. He outstretched his hand for Mark to take, but instead of holding his hand like he usually would when Haechan was in fear, Mark shook his head and stepped away from him until he was out of the door. 

For the first time, ever since the two of them were mated, Haechan felt abandoned—abandoned by someone who promised to always be there for him. 

🍀🍀🍀

"It is all because of you. "

"All because you cannot forget Aurelius. "

"All because you cannot be contented with living here in Adar. "

The trees were bare as the last leaves had fallen to the ground, but Haechan lost more than those trees, for he had lost a child and a mate. It hurt to lose a child that you had been waiting to come out, but it hurt more that he was the cause of losing them. And, as if the pain was not yet enough, to know that your mate was blaming you for the tragedy made everything so much more. The winds were starting to be cooler, the same time that his relationship with Mark became colder. 

Haechan felt so alone, and he realized how comfortable it had been to have Mark's presence with him. Mark was never beside him, anymore. He could rarely even see him, and if he could, it was only for a few moments, moments that didn't even involved a single touch. 

Mark's love came to him on spring, like the migratory birds, but as fast as it came to him, it was fast as well to leave by fall. Had he known that the attention and affection would disappear in an instance, then Haechan should have saved up the time, the memories and the moments and store them away so that he would not starved on the coming winter. 

🍀🍀🍀

The longest night of the winter solstice was also the coldest, especially since Haechan was lying alone in bed, missing and longing for the warmth of his mate who still refused to sleep in the same room with him. Mark was still not ready to leave what happened in autumn behind, as if the burning rage inside of him would be his source of warmth for the winter. A heart filled with rage had no room for love, and the love that Mark had for Haechan was resting, sleeping, hibernating, and Haechan could only hope that the same love would wake up in spring, recharged and stronger and ready for a new start. 

Just when he thought that the last winter that had claimed his beloved sister's life was the most unbearable, this felt just as worst. Both took a part of himself, both made him feel helpless. May the Sun God have mercy on him and freeze his own tears to stop himself from crying. But then again, if He did, then there would be no other way for him to release his emotions. The Red Queen, Johnny and even Jaehyun had offered support for him. But they were Mark's family, they were Mark's people, and Haechan felt like he would be stealing away from him if he would also take comfort from them. Mark needed all the support that he could get as well. 

Haechan had received a letter from his mother after the knowledge of what happened to him and his child had travelled to Aurelius. He never wrote her back. 

His mother soon found out about the cold treatment that his mate was giving him. She told him through a letter about their intention to offer anything in order to have him back, so that they could take care of him like how his mate should have been doing. Haechan, again didn't write her back. 

It was his inability to cut his ties to the place he once called home that had caused him to be attracted to the flower, it was his longing for his mother and the people of Aurelius that brought upon the tragedy. He caused that tragedy, and maybe, enduring the cold was enough of a punishment for his mistakes. Maybe, just maybe, when winter was finally over, Mark's anger towards him would melt like the snow. 

🍀🍀🍀

The wind was still cold, but it felt like it was getting warmer. Or maybe, it was because Mark's heart were not as cold anymore for his mate had started sleeping in their room again. Mark was still not talking to him, but Haechan was willing to take anything that Mark was willing to give him. 

There were times though, like this one, when Haechan would risk to get more. He had been having trouble sleeping ever since that incident, and most of the time, it was Mark who would fall asleep first. This night was not different. Haechan began to try his luck again, and hopefully, he would be as successful as before. He put his arms around his sleeping mate. He waited for a few moment, in fear that Mark would wake up and feel repulsive of his touches. Mark didn't, he never woke up in the middle of the night. Haechan nuzzle on his nape and inhale the scent that was no longer stick to him. His throat began to tighten with self pity, for how pitiful was he to be stealing touches to his own husband in the middle of the night. He caught his own sniffles before they became louder. He could not risk waking Mark up. He would be contented with all that he could get, regardless of how pitiful Haechan might seem. 

It felt warmer to be that close to his mate, and the illusion that he was creating inside his head that that the two of them would soon go back to how they were before seemed clearer, that when this winter ended, love would bloom between the two of them like on that first day of spring.


	2. Chapter 2

The leaves were beginning to sprout again in Adar, and soon, greens would come to replace the whites. Haechan wished that sadness would also pass like the winter, for the coldness of the body was much more bearable than the coldness of the soul. 

Mark was still not speaking with him nor was he reciprocating his touches, and Haechan feared that the anger that his mate was feeling for him would remain constant, and the love that hibernated before the winter ever came would remain forever. Spring used to mean hope for him, but hope would not come, not at all, if Mark was not willing to move forward. 

Last year, Haechan grieved over four things. One, the death of his beloved sister. Two, his departure from the place he grew up with. Three, the lost if his child. Four, the lost of his mate. Yet, among all of them, the last one was most painful, for his mate was right beside him, yet so, so far away. Unreachable, his heart was unreachable. 

What's even worse was that as the spring came, a sense of familiarity bloomed inside of him, and Adar was finally what he recognized as home along wih the never ending winter that Mark was. The coldness had been present for so long and it became the usual, the norm, and the hope that the spring used to promise to him was no longer present. The flowers might start blooming soon, but Mark's love would not. It will remain dead, maybe for much longer, maybe forever. 

🍀🍀🍀

It was still early in spring, and far away from summer, but the weather was starting to feel warm. Or maybe, it wasn't the weather. 

His heat cycle would always fall on the last days of spring and during the last days of fall. Last year, heat didn't come, for child bearing had disrupted the cycle. This year, he could feel it coming strong, he could feel that it would be the most unbearable. 

He had been used to dealing wit his heat alone, back in Aurelius, but dealing with this alone while he was mated was a different story. He had heard stories before, about how painful it was, to be in heat and be rejected and neglected by your own mate. They said that the heat would set you on fire, you would be in flames but you would not burn to ashes. You would remain whole, as whole as someone who was rejected by his other half could get. You would suffer for long, for it would take longer than a normal heat would. 

It's coming, he could feel it, and he could taste the bitterness of being unloved right through his tongue like the fruits that were still waiting to be riped. 

🍀🍀🍀

Haechan buried himself on the bed, on Mark's side, where his scent still lingered even after days of his absence. Mark had left and never came back once he noticed three nights ago that Haechan was already in heat. He would take long to come back, for it would take more than a week for his unsated heat to subside. 

Haechan had spread Mark's unwashed clothings on the bed, the clothings that he refused to give to the maids, the clothings that he collected and kept hidden under the bed like how the forest animal would collect their food and store them for the coming winter and hoped that what they had would be enough. But it was still spring, and what Haechan had collected and store would not be enough. They were Mark's but only remnants of him. It was not the real him. Haechan wanted the real him. Haechan needed the real him. Mark, however, wanted nothing to do with him. He needed nothing from him, for all of the feelings that he had for Haechan had died along with their child on the last autumn, and on the next autumn, just like this spring, Haechan would be on his own again. He would suffer alone, once again. 

🍀🍀🍀

Haechan could barely register anything that was happening around him. Everything was red like the color of Adar, and the heat was worse than the hottest day of summer in Aurelius. The heat was even worse than the scalding hot sands of Blanc nor the hot springs of Raven. Haechan was in pain, in pain for so long, but the Sun God forbid him to feel numb. He had to feel every pain, every burn, as if it was his punishment for losing his child. Because grieving and longing for child that he was not even able to hold between his arms wasn't enough.

Haechan wondered if anyone had ever died in heat before, or maybe he would be the first one. But then again, he already felt himself died, or at least, a part of him did. A part of him died when the child had died, and all of the remaining lives inside of him was leaving bit by bit as seasons changed. 

Even his own breath felt like fire, burning his throat as they escape his mouth. And yet the fire he had breathed were aimed back at him, because in the end, he was always the one who should suffer. He would always be the one to be blamed. 

The door to his room opened up and somebody entered the room. Whoever it was, he wasn't sure. All that he was sure of was how he responded to that person's touch, because God, he longed for so long to be touched. 

The person's hands on him was warm, yet they didn't burn, for they were soothing, comforting, loving, and there was nothing more that Haechan wanted that to feel that touch, to be near, skin to skin, until their sweats was mixing to create a scent that smelled so familiar, smelled like home. 

The person's kisses felt like the soft insides of a budding flowers, and Haechan cried at the gentleness. He had been deprived for so long, that even the slightest touch could break him, ruin him, and yet, he wanted to be ruined even more. 

The person moved as if he knew all of Haechan's body, every curve, every dimple and every spot that needed attention. The night felt so long even though it was impossible. It was only spring, where days were increasingly growing longer, and the nights, shorter. Yet the night felt long, and it had been first night in so long that Haechan felt that he was care for, protected, and loved. 

🍀🍀🍀

The scalding heat was gone in the morning and Haechan should feel relieved. Yet, the night of passion and satisfaction had turned into a morning of fear and dread. He had not known who that person was, he had not known who the person who kissed him and touched him and chased the heat away was. He could be Mark, but Haechan was not sure, and the fear and dread that he might have cheated on his mate in his delirious state was choking him up, they were making it hard for him to breathe. 

He would not be punished, that was for sure, for laws were created to protect a mated omega in heat, that whoever touched him aside from his mate would be the one who would be gravely punished. Yet, it was not the punishment that he was fearing. It was Mark's anger that he was dreading, for if Mark could not forgive him for losing their child, then the alpha could not forgive him for sleeping with another man—God forbid he did. 

There was water dripping from inside the bathroom, and Haechan waited impatienty for that person to come out. His heart was breathing fast, and tears was pooling in his eyes in fear. The person, whoever he was, was taking so long to come out of the bathroom, and Haechan wanted to burst open the door, had he not been paralyzed in bed, in both fear and fatigue. 

The door of the bathroom opened and out came a familiar figure. Haechan let out a relieved sigh. It was Mark, he had slept with Mark, and no other person. 

Relief, however, was replaced again with sadness, when Mark, not even saying a word, not even sparing him a glance, had left the room. Mark had given him a taste of hope when he least expected it, yet Mark had taken hope away before it was even in full bloom. 

🍀🍀🍀

The fruits during summer were sweet like the taste of first love, but the seeds were bitter like a love that was fading away. 

That night was never repeated again, and it was both a blessing and a curse—a blessing, for he had felt what he had been longing for, once again, and a curse, for he was given a taste of what he had been missing, only for him to miss it once again.

The hot summer was already starting and the Kingdom of Aurelius was already in celebration for the festival of the Sun God. Haechan had outgrew his childish desires of running around the hot grounds of the Golden Kingdom, three seasons ago. Yet, the letters from his mother, the ones asking him to return, felt too tempting to ignore. 

The priestesses of the Sun God had their way of cutting off a mating bond. It would be an excruciating process, a very painful one, but it would not be as painful as the distance that Mark was creating for the two of them. If Mark wanted distance, he would give him distance, because with how the things were between them, distance could be the only way to heal. 

Yet, Haechan wanted to stay, he wanted to be with his mate more, even with being with him had been nothing but staring at the alpha's back while he slept beside him. 

Just this summer, Haechan told himself. He would stay, just for this summer. 

He began writing a letter, the first one that he would send to his mother, informing her that when the first leaves had fallen, Haechan would return back home. 

🍀🍀🍀

The thought that that summer would be a mimic of what the previous one had been, had not even visited Haechan's thoughts. He was not sure if the Sun God was playing a cruel trick on him, or he was simply messing with his plans. Haechan had made a decision to leave, he would leave Adar and Mark behind, but how could he under his predicament? 

He was with a child, again, and the memories of what he had once, and what he had lost returned back to him. Most of all, Mark's blue eyed that had never been laid upon him were staring at him again. Haechan saw the shade of blue that he had already forgotten. 

An opportunity, he thought to himself. An opportunity to make things right, and to repair all of the damage in their bond. 

During the last summer, Haechan had not been ready for a new life that he had entered. This summer, he would make sure that he would be prepared. He would not be a child. He would be a mate, and a parent. 

🍀🍀🍀

"Do you want to take a walk outside? " Mark asked him, his mate began speaking with him once again, and somehow, his voice sounded foreign to him after not hearing a word from him for so long. 

Haechan shook him head. "I am fine here inside. " 

He had never left his room, ever since the knowledge that he was with a child once again. He had lost the baby outside, and he swore to himself that he would not venture out of his room until the child was out, safe, sound, and alive. 

"Do you not miss the sun? "Mark asked him. 

'I do', he thought. 'I do miss the sun. But I did miss you more, and I will not do anything to miss you again. I will do anything to keep you and our child. '

Haechan shook his head again. "I am fine, " he lied. "I like it inside. "

"I will accompany you, " Mark explained to him. "I will keep you safe, I promise. "

But, the only safety that Haechan needed was the comfort of having Mark and their child with him, and that comfort was not outside, where accidents could happen, where random things that were reminding him of Aurelius would make him do stupid things. 

"I am fine here, inside, " he told his mate. "You do not need to worry. "

Sadness flashed on his mate's face, of what reasons, Haechan wasn't sure. The two of them were given an opportunity to do things all over again, and this time, Haechan was determined to do things right. There was absolutely nothing to be sad about. 

🍀🍀🍀

Except, maybe, there was. Mark was not present when the royal doctor visited him, and Haechan was thankful that he was not there. The words of the doctor echoed repeatedly on his head like the mimicking of the mocking birds. 

"You might not survive child birth. "

The bodies of a male omega was very different from that of the female omega. Child birth was much more painful for male omegas, as it would involve cutting open his stomach, in order to pull the baby out. It was painful, and the recovery would take much longer. It worst case scenarios, where the male omega's body was still not fully developed, child birth could be really dangerous. Child birth could be fatal. 

He finally understood why his mother had been really afraid once she found out. Haechan had just been eighteen back then and male omegas would physically be mature at twenty-five. 

Haechan was nineteen, but the doctor deemed him still not ready, still unprepared, but the only thing that he was unprepared for was the thought that he would leave his child behind. 

"What do you suggest? " he asked the old beta. 

"You need to get rid of the child, Your Highness."

Get rid of the child, he said. Get rid of HIS child. Haechan might be young, but he knew how to be a parent, and no parent would ever prioritize himself over his own child. 

"Could the child survive the birthing process? "

The beta doctor contemplated his answer, feeling ominous of how the things would turn out. Haechan repeated his question. 

"The child has a higher chance of surviving the birthing, Your Highness. You on the other hand—"

"That was the only thing I need to know, " for Haechan had already made his decision. "Swear to me that no one else will know about this information, not even my husband, His Higness himself. "

That summer had been the most unpredictable summer of his life. Just when Haechan was about to give up, life had given him hope in the form of their child, but the hope had a very high price to pay, the cost of hope might be his own life. Yet, everything would be fine. Even if the worst came his way, in the end, he would be at peace because he had seen how much Mark had cared for their lost child, and Haechan was sure that his mate would love and care for their child even at his absence, even after his death. 

🍀🍀🍀

The migratory birds were leaving once again, and soon, Haechan could feel himself leaving as well. He could feel it in his weak bones, he could feel it in the shallow breaths, he could feel it in the way that he found it hard to wake up every morning. Yet he had to, it was not yet his time. If he would leave, he would leave on winter, after the child was born. If he would leave, he would leave alone, for Mark would be lonely on his own. 

"I will summon the royal doctor, " Mark told him, while brushing the strands of his hair away from his face. And then, he stood up, to made his way to the door. 

Haechan held his arms firmly before he could leave. "Stay, " he told him, for the royal doctor would not tell him anything. The beta swore an oath to him to keep everything a secret. "Keep me warm, for it's getting cold. "

Mark contemplated, switching from looking at him and af the door, before making a reaolve and lying down beside him. Mark wrapped him in a warm embrace, like the one that he would give him before the tragedy happen. The Sun God knew how much he missed this, the Sun God knew how much he would miss this. But it's already autumn, and soon, winter would come, and Haechan would take all the memories he could take before the first snow would fall, he would take everything that he could before he turn to hibernation for long, maybe forever. 

"I love you, " he told his mate. "Not once did I ever regret meeting you, and not once did I ever regret being your mate."

"I love you, too, " Mark told him, " Despite me, having difficulties in showing you how much I love you. "

"You are scaring me, " his mate told him. "I feel like there is something that you are hiding from me. "

"There is nothing to be scared of, " Haechan reassured him, for as the coming winter leave and perhaps take Haechan along with him, Mark would not be alone. 

🍀🍀🍀

The leaves had all fallen to the ground silently as Haechan's secret fell down with a loud crash, or maybe, it was the sound of Mark's heart breaking. 

"Drink it, " Mark ordered him as a chambermaid carry a flask of purple liquid. Mark's blue eyes were red rimmed, and no matter how he tried to act angry, the sadness and fear in his eyes could not hide anything. 

Haechan knew that his mate knew, and he knew what the purple liquid was. 

"I will not drink it, " Haechan told him. 

"Drink it— " Mark ordered him again, "—or I will make you. "

"I will not drink it, Your Royal Highness," he answered once again. "For I want the child to stay. "

"You will drink it, " Mark insisted, "For it is you that I want to stay. "

Haechan had always felt like he could swim in Mark's blue eyes, but as the tears over flowed, Haechan felt like drowning. Not once had Mark even showed this much raw and unmasked emotions infront of him, not even during the past autumn. Yet now, Mark was crying, he was hurting, just at the thought of losing him. 

"I thought I lost you once, " Mark confessed. "I thought I lost you for making you feel that you were the one to be blamed. "

"Indeed, I was the one to be blamed," He admitted, for had he followed orders, then their first child would have been alive. 

"You were not, " Mark shook his head. "But I had been too stupid, for making you feel that way. I thought I would lose you, for I had been nothing but a lousy husband. But, you stayed, you stayed, despite all of my shortcomings. You stayed and I want you to stay right now. This time, I am picking you, over a child that is yet to be born. I love you, with or without a child. "

Haechan smiled at him, maybe a bit bitterly, for he has longed to hear those words, and yet he was hearing them now, now when he could feel that he was running out of time. But it was fine, he would put his mates words inside his pocket and carry them to wherever he would go. 

"I love you, " He told his mate, "But, I love this child, too. And the choice is mine to make. "

Autumn was ending and soon the first snow would fall, maybe tears as well, for the coming winter was filled with uncertainty. 

🍀🍀🍀

It was the warmest winter that Haechan had ever experienced, for Mark had never ever left his side. The Royal Doctor had told them that Haechan was already in the last stage of child bearing, and removing the child would be even more dangerous. It was not as if they could change his decision had the procedure even been safe for him. 

"I do not usually pray, " Mark confessed to him as they were lying on the bed. "But lately, I have been catching myself praying to both the Goddess of Fire of Adar, and the Sun God of Aurelius. Add if I could, I would pray to the deities of Azure, Raven and Blanc as well, in hopes the the Gods of Auror would come together to save you. "

If there was something that Haechan had been fearing, it was to leave Mark unprepared, because Mark was still in denial of a possibility that Haechan might be gone before the end of winter. Haechan remembered his sister, and how he reassured him that everything would be fine after she was gone. Did she feel afraid as well? Did she feel afraid for the people she would leave behind? 

"They may not be strong enough to save me now, " he told him weakly. 

"Do not underestimate the power of Gods, " Mark answered back. "And, do not underestimate the power of the prayers of a desperate man. "

"I have been praying, too, " Haechan had told him. "I have been praying to the Sun God, for him to give you strength to go on, to go on without me. "

"You will not leave, " Mark said with certainty, it was that certainty that Haechan feared the most, for it would most likely lead to disappointment and heart break. 

"I might leave, soon, " he told him truthfully. 

"Do not say those words, for you are hurting me. You will live, and we will see the first sprouts of spring together. We will go to Aurelius, because I know how much you miss to be there. We will watch the Holy Dance for the Sun God on the Summer Solstice. We will send off the birds as they depart to a warmer place, and we will warm each other in our embrace on the next winter. You cannot leave, Haechan, for there was so much more for us to do, and I have so much love that I have yet to show you. "

Those promises sounded beautiful, even if they also sounded impossible. 

"Promise me that you will stay, Haechan. Promise me. "

"I'm sorry, " He replied. "Forgive me if I cannot promise you anything. "

🍀🍀🍀

It was time, he thought to himself. The royal doctor had already given him the concoction to numb the pain, for not even the icy weather was enough to numb the pain of being cut open. 

There were a lot of people inside the room, Mark was there, the Red King and Queen was there along with the two other princes. The Golden King and Queen was also there, they had risked travelling during winter at the prospect of seeing Haechan, one last time. 

Mark had placed a red pouch on his palm. Haechan pulled it up to take a peek of what was inside. Four leaf clovers, a lot of them. 

"They might not grant wishes, but they will give you luck, and we will need all the luck we could get, right now. "

Haechan held the pouch firmly. There was a bigger possibility that he would die tonight, but there was nothing wrong with a bit of hope. He would not feel the disappointment once he's dead. 

"Promise me that you will find happiness even when I am gone. "

Mark shook his head. "Forgive me if I cannot promise you anything. "

Mark gave him one last kiss, before all of them were told to leave the room. The medicine was taking an effect, and making him feel drowsy. Soon, he felt himself succumbing to sleep, not knowing if he would ever wake up.


	3. Chapter 3

Mark first saw Haechan on the summer solstice, the Festival of the Sun God. Mark, along with his brother, Jaehyun had stopped over to Aurelius for a while, after a long journey to the White Kingdom, which was at the South West of the continent of Auror. Johnny had been there before them, for his eldest brother was engaged to Her Royal Highness, Haera, Princess of Aurelius. 

They stumbled upon the holy procession, the holy dance of omegas in honor of the Sun God. Mark had been mesmerized by one specific omega, whom he later learned as His Royal Highness, Haechan, Prince of Aurelius.

Haechan's golden blonde hair was sparkling under the sun, and the silky strands moved lightly with his fluid movements. His sun-kissed skin was in beautiful contrast with the pure white tunic that he was wearing. His bare feet glided smoothly on the hot pavement, as if he was floating like the dandelions in the air. But, the most important detail that Mark noticed was his bright smile who could rival the sun, but it's not like he could ever say that out loud, for he would be tried for blasphemy. 

Mark almost caught himself walking towards him, but Jaehyun caught him before he could even go that far. 

"He is pretty, " Jaehyun this told him, "But it would not be enough reason for you to interrupt a holy procession and risk losing your head. "

Mark did not meet Haechan then, for Jaehyun and him were needed back in Adar immediately. 

Who would have thought that the next moment that Mark would see him, would be on a tragic spring where Haechan's sun-like smile would be hidden by dark clouds of sadness, and his golden eyes would be filled with tears. Mark would soon chase away the sadness with a four leaf clover, and his loving kisses and touches. 

☀️☀️☀️

It was summer when Mark heard a surprising but not unwelcome news, when a messenger from Aurelius was sent to inform him about Haechan's predicament. The omega was with a child. A child that was his as well. 

Mark had been elated, but much to his disappointed, the Red King and Queen were not, and even his brothers, who were always on his side, seemed to be unhappy as well. 

"It's not that we are unhappy, " Johnny had told him. "But you are still young, and so is he. Can you really handle being mated, already?"

Mark had been sure that he could, especially when he rode to Aurelius on his own, going there ahead of the envoy carrying gifts to the Golden Kingdom, in hopes of asking for his beloved's hands. It was not like they still had a choice. 

Haechan's smile had been covered by dark clouds again, but the dark clouds were quick to leave once the omega's golden eyes were laid upon him. 

It was summer when Mark had proven his sincere and genuine love for Haechan, but it was also during that summer when Mark had proven himself that they were right, he was still too young to be a level headed mate and an alpha at nineteen. 

☀️☀️☀️

The Golden Queen did not even try to mask her disagreement to his desire of taking his mate to Adar with him. Haechan was too young to leave his nest, she told him. He was not yet ready, she told him. But it was not like she had a choice, for Haechan was finally his mate, and all decisions belonged to him. 

☀️☀️☀️

Mark had been disappointed that Haechan was still missing Aurelius, after being in Adar for long. His mate had tried to mask his longing, he did not say a word. But Mark could see it, he could see it in the way that he would stare longingly in the direction towards Aurelius. 

"He left his home so sudden, " his mother, who was not a native of Adar as well but from the Black Kingdom, explained to him. "You have to give him time. "

But patience had never been his quality. Everyone knew it, especially with how early he plucked Haechan out of the tree when he was still yet to grow and yet to mature. 

Summer had been the beginning of their marriage, but it was also the beginning of Mark's chain of mistakes. 

☀️☀️☀️

Autumn came, yet Haechan was still yet to overcome his homesickness. Autumn came and Mark was still yet to know a thing about patience. 

He was beginning to learn how to hate his mate, for being discontented with how things were in Adar. Love and hate cannot grow on the same ground, for hate would drain all the nutrients, and love would die. Mark had been so stupid to nurture the wrong thing, because as love slowly died, so did understanding. 

Autumn was for the dead, the dead leaves and the dead trees. That autumn was for the dead child who never had the opportunity to see the world, all because of an unexpected, unplanned incident. An accident, And accident that no one should be blamed for. Yet Mark decided to blame his mate, for he had nurtured the hate. Thr hate grew thick branches that was covering his eyes, making him unable to see how much Haechan was hurting, how much he was grieving, for it was not just Mark who lost his child, he did as well. And it was more painful for him, for he had carried the child for months. 

But, Mark did not see that, for his rationality flew away along with the migratory birds, and he as well, left Haechan alone, in their chamber, and in life. 

☀️☀️☀️

The love in Mark's heart grew back early, for it did not wait spring to sprout from his heart again. Yet, it was still not too early to undo the damages. 

The Golden Kingdom had heard the news about what had happened, and while they did sent words of comfort to both Mark and Haechan, Mark had also found letters that the Golden Queen had discreetly sent to Haechan, offering him a chance to go back. 

The love, which had been forgotten in behalf of hate grew back, at the same time that the fear of losing the person he loved sprouted from him. 

But it was winter, it was so cold, and it was hard for a fragile love to survive, especially with weeds of shame and cowardice stunting its growth. 

Mark wanted to fix things, but he did not know how. He did not know what to say nor what to do, except to return back to their shared chamber, in hopes that with sharing the same space with his mate, he would grow the courage to admit his mistakes and ask for forgiveness. 

But he did not, he did not even utter a word. The sun shone brightly on winter, when Mark return to sleeping in their bedroom, but the clouds, even darker ones, came back instantly as Mark continued to be afraid. 

It was stupid, for there was really nothing to be afraid of. Haechan was still very much in love with him despite his shortcomings. 

Mark had not been sure when it had started, until he finally discovered what has been happening during the night, when he woke up to his mate's arms wrap around him, only for the omega to pull away from him once morning came. 

And ever since then, he looked forward to those nights, when Haechan would embrace him as he pretended to sleep, and stupidly be contented with the warmth he was receiving, when he could have gotten and given so much more by turning around and returning his mate's embrace. Had he known that that winter could have been their last winter, then Mark would have turned around and hold him tight, in fear of losing him. 

☀️☀️☀️

The sprouts of spring were beginning to come out of the ground, but the beautiful relationship that Mark and Haechan had started on last year's spring remained dead, and buried underneath, because Mark was not trying to dig and resurrect it, because being drenched in Haechan's tears was not enough for it to come alive. 

Spring was a new beginning, and Mark wanted to begin again, but beginning again should not involve the sweet scent of peaches that were lingering inside his nose. 

Haechan had alway smelled like the ripe fruits of summer, but he smelled sweetest on that one spring day. It could only mean one thing. 

Mark left their chamber again, despite the harsh pull of the invisible chains that were holding and connecting the two of them. He had to leave. He needed to leave, for he felt shameful enough to think that it was unfair, and that he was unworthy of touching his mate after months of blaming him, and making him feel unloved. He thought, he was doing the right thing, he thought he was making it right. 

But why did it not feel right, as the searing pain in his chest burned him from the inside, until steams, and tears came out of his eyes. 

"You are hurting, " His mother told him, "But you are only sharing a quarter of his pain, for there was nothing more painful for an omega, to be abandoned by his mate in their most vulnerable time. "

Just the thought of Haechan feeling the same pain with four times the intensity, was enough for him to change his resolve. He could bear the pain, but not the knowledge of being the one who was causing the pain. 

Haechan was writhing on the bed, and his skin was burning, scalding hot under his touch. Haechan was there, but not really, and Mark was not sure if he would remember anything in the morning. Yet, to be remembered was the last of his worry, for he was here to chase the heat and the pain away. 

Kissing him was like the first time, for it had been to long, yet Mark still remember everything about his mate. He still knew which parts to kiss, he still knew which part to touch, if only he still knew how to deal with him in the morning, when both of them were sane. But he did not. For when the morning came and the heat was gone, Mark left the room not knowing what else to do. Not speaking had been the norm, and the norm was very hard to break. He left, not knowing that it would mark the day when Haechan would start losing the hope that he associated with spring. 

☀️☀️☀️

The rays of the sun shone harshly at him, as if they were whips punishing him, when he intercepted the letter that Haechan was supposed to send to his mother, the Golden Queen. 

He was going to leave. He was going back to Aurelius once the summer ended. 

Haechan was going to leave him. 

The letter was burned down, and the ashes flew in the air. If ever they reached the Golden Kingdom, then the Fire Goddess forbid that the warm air whispered those words in the Golden Queen's ears. He would not return Haechan. He would keep him, and he would give him a reason to stay. 

The Fire Goddess himself might have been on his side, for life had given Haechan a reason to stay. A child, like the one they lost during summer. A child that Mark would want to keep, along with his mate. For the first time in a long time, Mark had not been afraid, nor had he been ashamed of meeting his mates gaze. Blue met Gold and sparked a fire, a fire that had died in the coldness of his heart. The fire reignited as a spark of hope sprouted, in the form of their unborn child. 

☀️☀️☀️

Mark wanted to do thing differently, he wanted to treat Haechan better, as if the presence of their new child had erased the bad chapters in their life, and allowing them to begin again. Mark was yet to apologize properly even though the two of them where speaking again with each other, and he knew that soon, he had to, for Haechan was still hurting, over what had happened in the past. 

They might have been given a chance to do things over, but the memories of last year was still there. 

Haechan was getting paler, for he was missing the sun that he loved so much. He had never left their chamber, in fear of having and accident again, and accident that had claimed their first child's life. The fear was stuck, along with the self blame, the self blame that Mark himself had nurtured inside his mate. 

Summer was for Haechan and Haechan was for summer, for he was the sun, but Mark wrapped him up in a blanket of dark clouds after a tragedy that not one of them had desired. 

☀️☀️☀️

The leaves fell silently to the ground in autumn and only made a sound under his shoes as he stepped on them, but the secret that Haechan had been hiding from him fell down with a loud crash and shattered into millions of pieces, like the fragile glass that his heart had become. 

"He might not survive the child birth, " the royal doctor told him. "He made me swear to never tell you, but the secret was becoming heavy for me to carry. I cannot keep you in the dark for so long. "

The doctor's confession made him see things clear. It gave explanation for fear that he was feeling. 

Haechan had been withering along with the leaves of the tree, and his radiance that had been the one that caught Mark's attention was dimming. But Mark's love was not superficial, it would not be gone even if his mate's radiant light was not as bright as it used too. He loved him still, and he loved him more, now that his mate needed him. The Fire Goddess knew, how hard it was for an alpha, to pick between his mate and his child, but he would do it. He would do it, and it was clear enough to him, which of the two, he would choose. 

"Drink it, " he ordered his mate, referring to the flask filled with purple liquid. He would not lose Haechan. He would pick him, this time around. 

"I will not drink it, " had been his mate's answer. "I love you, but I love this child as well, and the choice is mine to make. "

Mark lost a child on last year's autumn. This year, Mark would fight hard that to not lose his mate, his love, his other half. 

☀️☀️☀️

Seasons would come and go and Mark used to think that that was how things should go. What he did not expect was for him to one day dread a coming season that was threatening to take something, someone, away from him. 

The first snow had began falling, but the coldness that Mark had been feeling was not because of the weather, but because of the fear of what was to come. How cruel was fate to not even allow him to be excited over the birth of their first child, for their birth, could also mark the death of his beloved. 

The Golden King and Queen had travelled to Adar despite the weather, to have the chance of possibly seeing their beloved child, one last time. 

"If he dies, " the Golden Queen asked him tearfully, "I beg you, I beg you to please allow us to take him back home. "

But, Haechan would stay, for Haechan would live, because their love for each other was strong, strong enough to fight off death. 

Or maybe he was wishful thinking, maybe he was asking for too much, that even the Fire Goddess and the Sun God could not give in to his wishes. 

That winter was the coldest for Mark, for it ended with Haechan's eyes shut closed. 

☀️☀️☀️

Mark kneeled on the grave inside the Royal Garden of Aurelius. The flowers were already in bloom in that one spring day. He placed the pink wild hibiscus down on the grave, brushing off the dirt and dried leaves that had fallen. There were a lot of baskets of flowers around, an indication that the person buried under the ground was loved and cared for by so many people, and all of it was well deserved. The person underneath the grave was one of the kindest person who had ever walked on the face of Auror. 

"We would like to apologize that we took so long to be here. We should have been here earlier, but there are a lot of thing to be considered, " he said, as if he was talking to the spirit of the dead. "I wanted to come here, to thank you, and you do not know how grateful I am to you. "

He felt the cold wind touching his skin, a very cool wind despite the warm summer, as if the spirit was telling him that she was listening. 

"Thank you for leading your brother back to me," He said to Haera's grave. 

"Should I feel jealous that you're spending way too much time alone with my sister?" He heard his mate speaking from behind him, along with the babbling from their daughter—Haesu. His mate and his child had been caught up with the Golden Queen's fuzzing, that Mark had decided to go to the garden on his own, to have a private conversation with his sister-in-law. 

"You know that there was no one else that I love, other than you, Haechan, " he replied to his mate's teasing. He turned around to face them and took notice of his mate's face. Haechan had lost so much weight, and the roundness of his face was still missing. Yet, he looked better as he slowly recovered from that painful and agonizing childbirth. 

Mark really thought he lost him, for it took days before Haechan woke up. And even then, he could not move, nor could he speak, and Mark had feared that he would leave if he would even dare to blink an eye. 

But, he came back. All thanks to Haera. 

When Haechan had recovered enough for him to talk, he had told Mark that he met his sister at the heaven's door, and that Haera did not allow him to enter for it was not yet his time. She had told him to return, to return back to life, to return to Mark and their child. 

"I was merely thanking your sister, for sending you back. "

"I want to thank her, too, " Haechan told him. "For sending me back. The Sun God knew that no matter how much I miss her, I will not trade this opportunity to live with you and our Haesu. "

Mark stared to admire the smile on his mate's face, a smile that he adored, a smile that he had once erased and a smile that he had thought he lost forever. 

"I will trade anything in order to see you smile like that for always. "

☀️☀️☀️

Once, summer had marked the beginning of his chain of mistakes, this summer, however, was going to be different. 

The decision to live in Aurelius during spring and summer, and to live in Adar during fall and winter, had not been an instant. It was something that he had thought of for a long time, and maybe something he had bargain with the Sun God, in exchange of Haechan's life. 

And God, it was one of the best decisions in life, for Haechan was quick to recover in Aurelius. The loose skin began to fill again, and his golden eyes was sparkling with life. Thinking back, Mark thought that had he made this decision before, the maybe, those bad things from before did not happen. 

But those were just memories, and what was important was now, where Haechan was happy and alive, and Haesu was growing lively and fast.

The Golden Queen seemed to turn fond of him as well, for bringing back a child that was so early taken away from her nest. 

Summer in Aurelius was hot and burning, but it could not compare to the burning passion and love that Mark was feeling for his family. 

☀️☀️☀️

Autumn was filled with fear, as the three of them returned to Adar. Through out the journey, Mark would analyze the look on his mate's face, to try and see if there were traces of sadness and longing. There was none. 

"Adar is my home, as well, " his mate told him. "For my home is with you and with Haesu. "

The red leaves were scattered on the forest ground, as if lining up to welcome them back. They were coming back, but not to how the things had been in the past. 

Autumn had once marked a loss, a painful experience that neither of them wanted to relive. Autumn had once marked a cut, a damage to their bond, but this time, they were determined to make their bond stronger. Autumn had once meant death, but as they were entering the palace of Adar, it was clear that this autumn meant life, a new life after surviving tragedies and death, a new life where the two of them were no longer the children who they were before, but still the same person with the same love. 

☀️☀️☀️

The warmest winter came, at it would be warm for so long, for Mark and Haechan would make sure that it would be. 

The thick furs were scattered on their bed for a make shift nest, the two of them lying in the middle, with Haesu in between them. The harsh snow storm outside was scary but with the three of them together, alive, Mark had nothing to be afraid of. 

Mark held his mates hand under the thick layers of blankets. His mate's palm was radiating heat, warm and alive. 

"I am here," Haechan told him, as if reading his mind. "I am here my love. "

He was there, he was alive. Haechan survived last years winter, and Mark survived all of his fears. Sometimes, life had a strange way way of teaching you a lesson, of teaching you to treasure every moment, to not waste time and to appreciate ans be thankful of the things, of the people whom you love. 

Mark had once let seasons pass without resolving his anger, without apologizing for his mistakes, and without showing Haechan how much he loved him. It was only when life had threaten to take him away that Mark understood the importance of time, and the importance of every passing season. Fear was a dreadful feeling, but it was also fear that had taught him to be grateful. Fear had taught him how to change, and this time around, Mark would not wait for time to pass, for seasons to change, before righting what was wrong. He would not allow the changes in the seasons affect their love, for their love would remain in full bloom, even during fall and winter.. 

Soon, spring would come, then summer, autumn and then winter again. Seasons would come and go, like how it should be. But people, especially Haechan, was not like the season, for he came into Mark's life one summer, and Mark would never ever let him go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it. Thank you for reading 💋

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and criticisms are very much welcome, but please give them with kindness because I am a fragile human being. Thank you!


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